"A well-researched and beautifully imagined novel....If Jane and the Austen family were not quite like this, they should have been."--Ruth Rendell Dearest Cousin Jane by Jill Pitkeathley, the author of Cassandra and Jane, is an inventive reimagining of the intriguing and scandalous life lived by Jane Austen's cousin, Countess Eliza de Feuillide. The fact-based story of a remarkable woman whose progressive and passionate views on love and marriage greatly influenced Austen's work--including such beloved novels as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility--Dearest Cousin Jane will fascinate and enchant readers interested in Victorian Era Britain and all lovers of Jane Austen literature and lore. Janet Aylmer, author of Darcy's Story, says, "This novel brings a new and enjoyable dimension to our knowledge of Jane Austen's life and work."